1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to storage receptacles for magnetic tape cassettes, and more particularly is directed to improvements in receptacles suitable for storing magnetic tape cassettes in a manner such that each cassette is enclosed in an individual compartment or space and protected from dirt, dust and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of storage receptacles for magnetic tape cassettes have been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,259, a magnetic tape cassette storage container is disclosed to include a generally rectangular casing having an opening along one of its sides through which the cassette itself is slidably inserted in, and removed from the casing. A pivoted door is provided for closing the open side of the casing, and a generally U-shaped spring is mounted, at its center, against the inner surface of the side wall of the casing opposed to the open side thereof. During the insertion of a cassette into the casing, the cassette acts against the normally U-shaped spring so as to flex or relatively flatten the latter, with the result that the spring exerts a force on the cassette tending to eject the latter from the casing. Therefore, when inserting the cassette in the casing, the cassette has to be manually held within the casing until the door is closed and latched in its closed position. The foregoing operations inconveniently require the use of two hands for insertion of a cassette. Furthermore, when the latch is released to permit opening of the door, the spring force acting on the cassette may forcibly eject the cassette completely out of the casing past the open door. Thus, the foregoing magnetic tape cassette storage container has disadvantageous characteristics both when inserting and removing a cassette. Furthermore, since the cassette is slidably inserted in, and removed from the casing of the container while acted upon by the spring, the cassette housing will become scratched or marred in the course of repeated movements into and out of the casing.
In another storage container for a magnetic tape cassette, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,229, a rectangular casing which is open at the front side thereof is provided with a drawer which is guided for rectilinear movements between a closed position, in which the drawer is contained within the casing with the open side of the latter being closed by the drawer front, and an opened or extended position in which a cassette can be inserted downwardly in, or removed upwardly from the extended drawer. A spring is interposed between the drawer and the casing so as to continuously urge the drawer to its opened or extended position, and a latch is provided for releasably holding the drawer in its closed position against the force of such spring. Further, the bottom of the drawer has two spaced apart, rigid tabs projecting upwardly therefrom to enter the reel hubs of a cassette placed from above in the drawer for holding the supply and takeup reels against rotation while the cassette is stored. Although such storage container provided with a rectilinearly slidable drawer avoids some of the problems associated with the existing storage container first described above, in that the cassette is cradled in the drawer while being inserted in, and removed from the casing and thus protected from scratching or marring, the structures provided for guiding the drawer in its rectilinear sliding movements relative to the casing tend to jam. Further, when the drawer is in its opened position, the insertion or removal of a cassette inconveniently requires rather complicated and precise manipulations of the cassette in view of the rigid tabs provided for holding the reels against rotation.
In still another existing storage receptacle for a magnetic tape cassette, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,088, the receptacle includes a housing constituted by spaced apart, L-shaped side walls having their vertical and horizontal portions connected by a back wall and a bottom wall, respectively, and a substantially rectangular container which is pivotally connected to the housing for swinging relative to the latter about an axis extending through a corner of the rectangular casing and through ends of the horizontal portions of the L-shaped side walls of the housing. In an opened position of the container in which the latter extends forwardly from the pivoting axis, the upwardly facing side of the rectangular casing is open for the insertion and removal of a cassette therethrough. When the container is pivotally moved to its closed position, the sides thereof interfit with the adjacent L-shaped side walls of the housing and the container and housing cooperate to enclose the cassette therein. Although the pivotal connection of the container with the housing is advantageous in that it is simple and not subject to binding or jamming, no provision is made for preventing rotation of the reels, and consequent loosening of the tape, when a cassette is stored in the receptacle.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved storage receptacle for a magnetic tape cassette which avoids the above mentioned disadvantages of the storage receptacles or containers previously proposed for that purpose.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a storage receptacle for a magnetic tape cassette which facilitates the insertion and removal of the cassette without the likelihood of scratching or marring the cassette housing during such insertion and removal, and in which upon the insertion of a cassette in the receptacle, the supply and takeup reels of the cassette are held against rotation in the cassette casing.
In accordance with an aspect of this invention, in a storage receptacle for a magnetic tape cassette comprising a housing having spaced apart, parallel side walls which, between their forward edges, define an opening of the housing, and a holder pivotally connected with the housing for swinging movement through such opening between an opened position in which the holder projects forwardly from the housing for receiving and relinquishing a cassette, and a closed position in which the holder cooperates with the housing for enclosing a cassette cradled in the holder; the pivoted holder has spaced apart side walls movable between the side walls of the housing, and flexibly resilient stop elements project inwardly from one of the side walls of the holder for engaging the reel hubs of a cassette disposed in the holder and thereby resisting turning of the supply and takeup reels of the cassette.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.